Jaret Wright
Encyclopedia
Jaret Samuel Wright is an American
former Major League Baseball
starting pitcher
, who played 10 years for five teams. He is the son of former major league pitcher Clyde Wright
.
, to Clyde Wright. His father pitched for nine season in the major leagues and three season in the Japanese equivalent. He graduated from Katella High School
in Anaheim, where he also played quarterback
and linebacker
for the football team. He was named league MVP and High School Player of the Year by the Orange County Register and Los Angeles Times
.
Wright was drafted out of high school by the Cleveland Indians
in the 1st round (10th pick overall) of the 1994 Major League Baseball Draft
.
, the team's rookie league affiliate in the Appalachian League
. The 18 year-old started in four games and had a 5.40 ERA
. For 1995, he progressed to the Class A Columbus RedStixx
in the South Atlantic League
, where he went 5-6 with a 3.00 ERA in 24 games. In 1996, he moved up to the Kinston Indians
, the team's "High-A" affiliate in the Carolina League
. He went 7-4 in 19 starts, with a 2.50 ERA. Baseball America
rated Wright as the #22 Prospect and was regularly mentioned by the Cleveland front office as one of the organization's top prospects.
The following year, 1997, was clearly his best year in baseball. Wright started with the Akron Aeros
, the Double-A in the Eastern League, where he went 3-3 with a 3.67 ERA. He was quickly promoted to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons
, going 4-1 in 7 starts and sported an impressive 1.80 ERA. On June 3, he pitched a 7-inning, 2-hit shutout against the Indianapolis Indians
. That earned Wright a promotion to the big club when a spot opened up.
. However, injuries to starters like "Black Jack" McDowell
and inconsistency from Albie Lopez
and Brian Anderson
forced the team to bring up its top pitching prospect.
Wright was an instant success, going 8-3 with a 4.38 ERA in 16 starts and pitching masterfully in the postseason that year at the age of 21. It was largely due to his performance that he was given the start on three days rest in the deciding game 7 of the 1997 World Series
. Wright left the game after 6 1/3 innings with a 2-1 lead, however the Indians would lose in 11 innings. He finished fifth in the American League Rookie of the Year Award voting, which was voted before his postseason mastery.
Wright would follow that up with a .500 season (12-12 with a 4.72 ERA) in . He never got the chance to reach his potential in Cleveland due to a chronic shoulder injury that would first crop up in , when he went 8-10 with a 6.06 ERA in 26 starts, and would later require two surgeries to repair, costing him parts of the following three seasons.
After going 2-3 with a 15.71 ERA in , the Indians decided not to re-sign him and Wright became a free agent
. He signed with the San Diego Padres
in early . He did not fare well in San Diego, going 1-5 with an 8.73 ERA in 39 games, all in relief
. He was traded to the Atlanta Braves
in August. He was did not allow a run in all but one his 11 appearances with the Braves, going 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA, and was told that he was going to be made a starting pitcher again for the next season.
Wright started in the minors
to build up arm strength, but was called up by the Braves when it was discovered pitcher Paul Byrd
needed more time to rehab his arm (he had missed the entire 2003 season due to Tommy John surgery
). Wright became the Braves best pitcher, going 15-8 with a 3.28 ERA in 32 starts that season while amassing 159 strikeout
s in 186.1 innings
.
On December 7, 2004, Wright signed a three-year, US$21 million deal with the New York Yankees
.
On November 12, , the Yankees traded Wright to the Baltimore Orioles
for Chris Britton and cash considerations. The Orioles were responsible for paying only $3 million of the $7 million left on Wright's contract.
Wright's shoulder problems returned in the season and caused him to spend time on the disabled list
twice; he did make three starts in April, each five innings or less, but lost all three of them and accumulated a 6.97 ERA. The Orioles reported that Wright's velocity was also down. Wright had started a rehab assignment in September and after 3 games he decided to go home ending the rest of the season and maybe his career. On October 1, 2007, the Orioles released Wright.
On January 23, , Wright signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, which included an invitation to spring training
. At the end of spring training, he declined his assignment to the minor leagues and elected to become a free agent.
When Wright broke in with Cleveland Indians, he threw a two-seam fastball
that topped out at 98 MPH, along with a hard curveball
and a changeup
. After battling numerous shoulder injuries, his fastball topped out in the low 90s.
with his wife Julie and his son, Gunnar (born March 18, 2005)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
, who played 10 years for five teams. He is the son of former major league pitcher Clyde Wright
Clyde Wright
Clyde Wright , nicknamed "Skeeter", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched for the California Angels , Milwaukee Brewers and Texas Rangers . He also pitched three seasons in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants...
.
Early life and education
Wright born on December 29, 1975, in Anaheim, CaliforniaAnaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
, to Clyde Wright. His father pitched for nine season in the major leagues and three season in the Japanese equivalent. He graduated from Katella High School
Katella High School
Katella High School is a public high school in Anaheim, California and is part of the Anaheim Union High School District. It serves 2,700 students in grades nine through twelve...
in Anaheim, where he also played quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
and linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the football team. He was named league MVP and High School Player of the Year by the Orange County Register and Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
.
Wright was drafted out of high school by the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
in the 1st round (10th pick overall) of the 1994 Major League Baseball Draft
1994 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1994 Major League Baseball draft.-Compensation picks:-Other notable players:*A.J. Pierzynski , Minnesota Twins, 3rd round*Bobby Howry , San Francisco Giants, 5th round...
.
Professional career
Following the draft, Wright began his professional career with the Burlington IndiansBurlington Royals
The Burlington Royals are a minor league baseball team in Burlington, North Carolina, USA. They are a Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League and have been a farm team of the Kansas City Royals since September 1, 2006. For the previous 21 years, the team had been affiliated with the Cleveland...
, the team's rookie league affiliate in the Appalachian League
Appalachian League
The Appalachian League is a Rookie-class minor league that began play in 1937 with one year of inactivity in 1956. From 1937 to 1962, it was a Class D League. Teams are located in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Tennessee...
. The 18 year-old started in four games and had a 5.40 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
. For 1995, he progressed to the Class A Columbus RedStixx
Columbus RedStixx
The Columbus RedStixx were a minor league baseball team in Columbus, Georgia. They were a Class A team in the South Atlantic League, and a farm team of the Cleveland Indians.The RedStixx played home games at Golden Park, except during 1996...
in the South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
, where he went 5-6 with a 3.00 ERA in 24 games. In 1996, he moved up to the Kinston Indians
Kinston Indians
The Kinston Indians were a minor league baseball team of the Carolina League , and the High-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. They were located in Kinston, North Carolina, and were named for their parent club...
, the team's "High-A" affiliate in the Carolina League
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a minor league baseball affiliation which operates in the South Atlantic Coast of the United States. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
. He went 7-4 in 19 starts, with a 2.50 ERA. Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
rated Wright as the #22 Prospect and was regularly mentioned by the Cleveland front office as one of the organization's top prospects.
The following year, 1997, was clearly his best year in baseball. Wright started with the Akron Aeros
Akron Aeros
The Akron Aeros are a minor league baseball team based in Akron, Ohio, USA. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.The Aeros play in Canal Park, located in downtown Akron, which seats 9,097 fans...
, the Double-A in the Eastern League, where he went 3-3 with a 3.67 ERA. He was quickly promoted to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
, going 4-1 in 7 starts and sported an impressive 1.80 ERA. On June 3, he pitched a 7-inning, 2-hit shutout against the Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
. That earned Wright a promotion to the big club when a spot opened up.
Major leagues
Wright made his major league debut in with the Indians. The team was a top contender, having made the playoffs the prior two years and included a trip to the 1995 World Series1995 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 1995 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta ace Greg Maddux pitched a two-hit complete game victory in his first World Series appearance ....
. However, injuries to starters like "Black Jack" McDowell
Jack McDowell
Jack Burns McDowell is a former Major League Baseball player. A right-handed pitcher, McDowell won the American League Cy Young Award in 1993. He was nicknamed "Black Jack."...
and inconsistency from Albie Lopez
Albie Lopez
Albert Anthony "Albie" Lopez is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He graduated from Mesa Community College. He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 20th round of the 1991 Major League Baseball Draft. Lopez was selected by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the second round of the expansion...
and Brian Anderson
Brian Anderson (pitcher)
Brian James Anderson is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher, who played 13 season for five teams, as well as a sports broadcaster and coach. Currently, Anderson is the color commentator on the Rays TV crew on Sun Sports....
forced the team to bring up its top pitching prospect.
Wright was an instant success, going 8-3 with a 4.38 ERA in 16 starts and pitching masterfully in the postseason that year at the age of 21. It was largely due to his performance that he was given the start on three days rest in the deciding game 7 of the 1997 World Series
1997 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 18, 1997 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, FloridaThe first World Series game in the state of Florida, Game 1 featured a youngster and a veteran facing each other on the mound...
. Wright left the game after 6 1/3 innings with a 2-1 lead, however the Indians would lose in 11 innings. He finished fifth in the American League Rookie of the Year Award voting, which was voted before his postseason mastery.
Wright would follow that up with a .500 season (12-12 with a 4.72 ERA) in . He never got the chance to reach his potential in Cleveland due to a chronic shoulder injury that would first crop up in , when he went 8-10 with a 6.06 ERA in 26 starts, and would later require two surgeries to repair, costing him parts of the following three seasons.
After going 2-3 with a 15.71 ERA in , the Indians decided not to re-sign him and Wright became a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He signed with the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
in early . He did not fare well in San Diego, going 1-5 with an 8.73 ERA in 39 games, all in relief
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
. He was traded to the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
in August. He was did not allow a run in all but one his 11 appearances with the Braves, going 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA, and was told that he was going to be made a starting pitcher again for the next season.
Wright started in the minors
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
to build up arm strength, but was called up by the Braves when it was discovered pitcher Paul Byrd
Paul Byrd
Paul Gregory Byrd is an American professional baseball right-handed starting pitcher who is currently a free agent. He pitched in Major League Baseball from 1995 to 2009. He is known as being the "nicest guy in baseball"...
needed more time to rehab his arm (he had missed the entire 2003 season due to Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery, known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body...
). Wright became the Braves best pitcher, going 15-8 with a 3.28 ERA in 32 starts that season while amassing 159 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s in 186.1 innings
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
.
On December 7, 2004, Wright signed a three-year, US$21 million deal with the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
.
On November 12, , the Yankees traded Wright to the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
for Chris Britton and cash considerations. The Orioles were responsible for paying only $3 million of the $7 million left on Wright's contract.
Wright's shoulder problems returned in the season and caused him to spend time on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
twice; he did make three starts in April, each five innings or less, but lost all three of them and accumulated a 6.97 ERA. The Orioles reported that Wright's velocity was also down. Wright had started a rehab assignment in September and after 3 games he decided to go home ending the rest of the season and maybe his career. On October 1, 2007, the Orioles released Wright.
On January 23, , Wright signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, which included an invitation to spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
. At the end of spring training, he declined his assignment to the minor leagues and elected to become a free agent.
When Wright broke in with Cleveland Indians, he threw a two-seam fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
that topped out at 98 MPH, along with a hard curveball
Curveball
The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve. The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to...
and a changeup
Changeup
A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball. Other names include change-of-pace, Bugs Bunny change-up, the dreaded equalizer, and simply change. The changeup is sometimes called an off-speed pitch, although that term can also be used simply to mean any pitch that is slower than a fastball...
. After battling numerous shoulder injuries, his fastball topped out in the low 90s.
Personal life
Wright currently lives in Newport Beach, CaliforniaNewport Beach, California
Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings...
with his wife Julie and his son, Gunnar (born March 18, 2005)